THAT ELUSIVE BONUS

Ah, edgar. That ain't right, my friend. Hang a piece of mistletoe on your coat tail as you leave work today.

Seriously, the only bonus we got in the teaching profession was a break at Christmas. Frankly, that was much better than money.

My wife worked for a school district more than 17 years. The time off she got was a blessing. They certainly pinched the pennies there. She recieved what the called tenure pay after a time. It was not much for all the years of service.

It was above and beyond the call in year one. After that, above and beyond the call of duty becomes the norm. Sorry. I got a bonus, but the gross was about 35% of prior years bonus. Well, misery loves company, and none of the staff and management did as well as last year. The roughnecks held up well, but didn't have much in the first place.

I have been recommended for a bonus this year (after two years I have to add, as for the past two years, people above a certain salary were not eligble for either bonus or pay hikes due to cost cutting) But yet to find out how much it is going to be....

I live in anticipation....

I believe you will be amply rewarded, Gautam.

roger
The above and beyond call increases each time the owners pay us a visit. I have to do a shoddy job at my old duties to keep up with the new. They are well aware that nobody else in the business would accept the extra duties at all. When I leave, they will be forced to hire multiple workers. No way they could not be aware of at least most of these things. If I were younger I too would refuse most of it. I am so close to retirement now I don't want to rock the boat. It is not ego that I know there will be a real void after I am gone.

I have the same beliefs about the void I will leave, yet lack your faith in management's awarness of just how much is being done by one person. "The work has always gotten done, it always will", seems to be the thought.

At Mrs. cav's company this year, no bonuses whatsoever, for anyone. Sucks all around, if you ask me.

These owners know perfectly well that outside contractors will then be called in (when I leave). The few thousands I spend for them will increase to a hundred thousand or more at one shot, depending on the choices they make.

Gee, I really hope so - I have already spent it !!

Bad move, Gautam. What if it's a box of cheese?

Cav
I believe a boss should give something. Depending on company solvency, it could be little more than a letter of appreciation and a card - or thousands of dollars. Since there are no rules other than human nature, it's hard to say in many cases.

Your point about leaving a void is well taken EB. When i tell my employer, as i regularly do of late, that i will quit, he says, in all seriousness, "you can't quit." He needs to get used to the idea, though, as i do plan to move to Canada as soon as i can afford to do so.

Perceptions about the value of what one does often attach to the work one does. When i worked in the field, simply as a cable-puller and installer, and not a lead technician, i got regular raises. But now that i am the business manager, i have to ask for a raise, and if he concedes the raise, he then gives raises to all the lead technicians, claiming it would not be fair to reward me and not them. I don't object, it is after all his business. However, i have saved him literally tens of thousands of dollars each year by finding better prices for materials and equipment, bullying vendors into paying for freight in order to retain our business, making sure that all potentially tax-exempt transactions are exempted--the list of what i do to streamline the conduct of financial business and make real savings without sacrificing the quality for which our company has a justifiable reputation, is a very long list indeed. I have been promised performance bonuses, which i have never received. This year, we increased our work force by two--which is a 15% increase. One of them is a salesman, which means a much greater than 15% increase in the volume of work that we do. As i do all personnel paperwork, all tax paperwork, all payroll, all bookkeeping, all purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, all the correspondence, and am responsible for all equipment purchases (for the company as opposed to the buying for sale to the customers, which i also do), this has meant an enormous increase in the work for which i am responsible. He is in all other respects a generous man. He pays 100% of the cost of health and dental insurance, disability insurance and life insurance. He makes a matching contribution to the 401(k) each year. He provides us all with cellular telephones, and fuel cards. We used to carry pagers, which he also provided, but we've stopped using those. If he doesn't come up with a substantial bonus this year, after failing for three years to give me promised performance bonuses (although i did get annual bonuses), he'll see me headed north much sooner than either of us expected.

Workers of the world unite!

You have nothing to lose buy your paychecks ! ! !

Hey! This is cool!

Yes, it is often cool in Canada, but, more frequently, damned cold.

Not being flip, setanta. I just couldn't resist saying it. Bosses have a nose for picking out work horses and they try their best to work them to death. When I was in construction the bosses invariably promised to promote me and raise my pay. But I put my whole energy into my job and they were reluctant to let me move into any other position. Result: Less talented men were promoted over me.

I've seen the same thing, EB . . . this is part and parcel with the trait of capitalism to seek the bottom line. This is also why labor unions started, and why Reagan's attack on unions is a continuing disaster. Unions made working life and the rewards for labor better for everyone, not just union members.